I ran for W/S for three months. It is a great company and gives you lots of responsibility and lattitude.

You would be well-advised to make a point of meeting your regional dispatchers and befriending them. They see a lot of people come and go, so if you make a favorable impression with them, you will find yourself being treated very well.

A very close friend of mine just became an O/O in their flatbed division. I think that they run about 200 trucks. He gets sick miles and is making serious bank.

BOL!

Took a look at their company profile page (http://www.wksh.com/company.aspx).

Impressive--I don't recall ever seeing a trucking company's website listing helpful information as Wakins-Shepard does. And I bet they update it on a regular basis.

If I ever to decide to go back OTR, this company would be a strong contender.

Re: Watkins-Shepard
 

I spoke with them the other day. I was surprised by their LOW starting pay. They seem like they COULD be a decent company, but they shouldn't make you suffer at low wages for a couple years for the privilege of working for them. Just my take after a 10-minute application and a 45-second phone call.

how much do they start a newbie at? I'm thinking of going with them when I graduate. Also anyone know what their school requirments are? I'm attending trans-tech out of charlotte nc its a 160 hr course.

Good question...their website states "...1st year pay 22% above industry average." Of course that could be taken a number of different ways....

I think they said $0.30 per mile ($0.01 less than I got right out of trucking school), and they want you on the road for extended periods of time.

I spoke with Sandy one of the W/S recruiters and she told me $0.28 cpm when starting out which is very poor and I crossed them off of my list.

She also said that I would have to drive my own car to their terminal 120 miles from where I live and leave the car there and then bring the tractor/trailer back to the teminal for my time at home and drive my car 120 miles back to my home. Other companies I have checked with do not have any problem with leaving the tractor/trailer at my local TA truck stop 5 miles from my home.

28 cpm is only if you're having them reimburse you for cdl school (28cpm for 6 months then 30cpm until one year, then 32 cpm) then there are very attainable bonuses for safety, fuel, paperwork that can add an additional 3cpm to your pay. If you live way out in the sticks (away from a major lane of traffic) taking the truck home may be an issue, but that would be a problem for most companies as well.
Have you called Crete? they were my origional 1st choice, better pay and they dispatch you from your home (you can take the truck home)

How long does W/S they keep you on the road before TAH.

Typically 10-14 days out then home. I’ve been home 3 times in the last 5 weeks, it helps if you live near a major lane of traffic like I do (I90) I was routed to Spokane last week by chance and when I got there asked for a couple days off, then I went to Modesto CA and was routed back to Kent WA to Billings MT, guess where I slept mid way to Billings?
BTW I’m averaging 2500 miles a week with an average length of haul of 1100 miles
I was home 4 days last weekend, W/S hometime begins the day after you go off duty not based upon "hours" like some companies ("well you got home on Friday afternoon so we've got a load for you on Sunday morning")